A letter from the ASA President-elect inviting to submitt proposals for themathic sessions, 2012 ASA meeting I am writing to all the ASA sections about the theme for the 2012 ASA meeting, "Real Utopias: emancipatory projects, institutional designs, possible futures." I am hopeful that many of the sections will find this an interesting, even exciting, topic to explore. I thought that it might be a good idea if I prepared a memo which could be included in at least some of the newsletters of sections (of course, only if the editor felt this was appropriate or useful) so that people would have a better sense of how I am thinking about the program. I welcome proposals from people active in ASA sections for different kinds of thematic panels, and of course I would be delighted if some of the sections explored aspects of the real utopias theme in the sessions they directly organize. As I explain in the attached memo, I think there are interesting issues around this theme that are connected to the concerns of the Communications and Information section. I realize that the memo might be too long for your newsletter, so I don't mind if it is edited down if needed. I have posted a full version of the memo on my website in any case at: http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/~wright/ASA/ASAsectionsMemo.pdf If you have any questions or reactions, please let me know. All the best, Erik -- Erik Olin Wright Vilas Distinguished Professor Department of Sociology University of Wisconsin - Madison tel 608-262-0068 website: www.ssc.wisc.edu/~wright